350.org

350.org is a grassroots organization of youth from around the world who are working together to build an international movement to stop global warming. The number 350 refers 350 parts per million (ppm), the safe upper limit of carbon dioxide allowable in the atmosphere. The number comes from the work of Dr. James Hansen, the United State's top climatologist, who wrote, “if humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to the one on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, CO2 must be reduced from its present 385 ppm (parts per million) to, at most, 350 ppm.” The 350.org activists are working to build a movement to create awareness of this tipping point and reduce CO2 levels to avoid catastrophic and irreversible damage to the earth's environment.

The U.S. team along with environmentalist and author Bill McKibben, who is credited with writing the first book for a general audience on climate change, organized the Step in Up campaign in 2007, which included over 2000 rallies in all 50 states. Building on this momentum, the group is working to inspire international cooperation in reducing our CO2 levels. To accomplish their goals, they promotes a wide variety of strategies, including phasing out coal power plants and replacing them with renewable sources, planting instead of clear-cutting forests, increasing efficiency and decreasing waste.

350.org's website is translated into nine languages. Grassroots events have been held in Korea, Nepal, the United States, and India.

10/10/10
10/10/10 was a global day of action organized by 350.org on October 10, 2010, designed to spur community actions to address climate change and create the basis for increased political action.

Group details
Location: U.S. headquarters in San Francisco, CA Group website: 350.org Contact: jamie [at] 350.org

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